TMZ Sports - Page 50

A little bit of snow -- okay, a TON of snow -- wasn't gonna stop Bills and Steelers fans from making their way to the stadium for Monday's Wild Card game ... with diehard supporters trudging to their seats in time for kickoff.

The playoff matchup was originally slated to go down on Sunday ... but Mother Nature had other plans, as a snowstorm forced the N.Y. governor and NFL commish Roger Goodell to push it back a day.

The Bills pulled out all the stops in hopes of getting Highmark Stadium ready in time for the contest ... even offering folks $20 an hour to help clear out the snow.

Despite the efforts, there was plenty left over from the storm ... but judging by videos of spectators walking through knee-deep piles in order to get to their seats, they didn't care one bit.

In fact, when Buffalo tight end Dawson Knox caught the first touchdown of the game, Bills Mafia made use of the extra snow by throwing it up in the air to celebrate.

All things considered, the field looks damn good for the game ... with not one snowflake in sight.

Matthew Stafford apparently wasn't the only one in his family getting booed during the Rams and Lions' Wild Card game on Sunday -- his wife, Kelly, claims fans also targeted their four young kids with jeers as well.

Kelly admitted before the Rams' 24-23 loss she was expecting to hear it from Lions fans ahead of the matchup ... considering her hubby was their beloved quarterback for 12 seasons before he was traded to the Rams, where he won his first Super Bowl.

Now that he's on the other sidelines, Kelly explained she understood why people would turn on #9 in favor of their own team ... but it's clear she wasn't expecting her youngins to get thrown into their antics.

"It's sports," Kelly said on her IG story Monday. "The city wants to win. Everything is fair game ... except the fans who booed my children."

"Other than that, I loved the atmosphere and the booing just gave my husband more fire."

Despite the booing Stafford's daughters -- who range between the ages of 3 and 6 -- Kelly wished the Lions nothing but the best ... and is rooting for them to win it all.

"The more you love, the more you hate. I consider it all love going both ways," Kelly said.

"I hope the Lions bring home a Lombardi to that city because that feeling is like no other."

Famous reptile enthusiast Brian Barczyk has sadly passed away after spending 10 days in hospice care ... following a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.

The announcement was made Monday ... with the folks at his Reptarium Reptile Zoo paying tribute to their "exceptional" visionary, mentor and friend in an emotional IG statement ... where they praised Brian's ability to touch innumerable hearts and minds globally with his fervent passion for reptiles and wildlife.

They added, "For those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him, Brian's absence leaves an immeasurable void. As we navigate this difficult time, we find comfort in the memories and the lasting light of Brian's work. He will be deeply missed but indeed, never forgotten."

Brian received news of his devastating stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis almost a year ago ... and it looks like he knew what was coming as just days earlier, he shared an emotional goodbye video.

The reptile influencer once said ... "I'm ready, guys. It was a tough year. It was so painful, the pain was incredible, the sickness was incredible, the treatment was incredible, everything about it was so bad" ... while also thanking his "reptile army" for their support.

Brian made a career out of his love for reptiles ... starring on the Discovery Channel's "Venom Hunters" and kickstarting his successful YouTube career in 2016. He had 5.26 million subscribers and collaborated with the likes of Logan and Jake Paul.

As well his Reptarium Reptile Zoo, he was also the founder of Legasea Aquarium.

He also owned the third-largest collection of snakes in the world -- over 30,000, actively participating in venom milking.

He leaves behind his wife Lori and their two children, Noah and Jade. A memorial in honor of Brian will be held on Wednesday by his family in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Nobody had a better Sunday than Jared Goff -- not only did he lead the Detroit Lions to their first playoff win in three decades ... but he also celebrated the accomplishment with a kiss from his model fiancée, Christen Harper, as the entire stadium chanted his name!!

The former No. 1-overall pick was on top of the world after coming away with the 24-23 win over his former L.A. Rams in the Wild Card matchup ... and rightfully so -- he went 22-27 for 277 yards and a touchdown on the night.

Shortly after the victory, Goff ran up to his longtime partner and gave her a smooch ... all while the supporters at Ford Field showed him some serious love.

Of course, Harper -- who has been linked to the NFL star since 2019 -- has been in Goff's corner through the good times and the bad ... and had a viral reaction in the middle of a Sports Illustrated photoshoot when the Lions won their first game of the season in Week 12 back in 2021.

Things are much different now -- the Lions are in the middle of a playoff run and will now face off against the winner of Monday's matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jordan Love’s longtime GF Ronika Stone could hardly wait to roast "Dem Boyz" after the Cowboys lopsided loss to the Packers on Sunday ... the pro volleyball player had some (good-natured fun) at the expense of a bunch of Dallas fans who hit the exits early!

Of course, the Cowboys lost 48-32 (they were down 27-0 in the first half) ... and Stone, the First Lady of Cheesehead Nation, had a prime seat, sitting mid-field as she watched her man carve up the Dallas defense.

Stone made a beeline for IG in the second half, mocking the Cowboys for the L as she took video of fans leaving early.

“Leaving so soon Cowboys fans?!” Stone gleefully asked.

“What happened? I thought we were Dem Boyz,” she continued, as her sister laughed in the background.

Savage.

Ronika -- a former standout athlete at the University of Oregon -- didn't stop with just an IG story post ... she also headed for TikTok to talk a little trash.

“Just checking in to see if y’all are still dem boyz?!”

Love played out of his mind on Sunday, throwing for 272 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. He completed over 76% of his passes and finished with a near-perfect QB rating.

Jordan's performance was one of the best playoff debuts ever for a QB, bottom line.

Chances are things are going to get a good deal harder this weekend when the Packers go on the road to face the #1 seed 49ers, who are 9.5-point favorites (GB was 7.5 dogs to DAL).

Ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley is taking a firm stance on who should take over for the Los Angeles Chargers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks Bill Belichick should NOT be the next head coach.

The Bolts job is arguably the most attractive opening in the league right now ... and many are speculating they could land a big fish like the former Patriots legend or Michigan's Jim Harbaugh if he chooses to make a return to the pros.

We asked the TV personality about those two names specifically ... and while he considers Belichick the greatest coach of all time, he says Harbaugh is the right guy for the gig.

"It's gonna be tough with the Chargers, obviously," Wiley said at LAX. "We're looking for a coach that we can look into the future with. With Belichick, how far are you going to look into the future? I don't know."

Wiley points out there's still a debate whether Belichick or Tom Brady was more responsible for the Patriots' six Super Bowl wins ... and his style of coaching may not resonate with the locker room.

Harbaugh -- who's fresh off a national championship with the Wolverines -- hasn't announced whether he will be back in Ann Arbor next season ... but Wiley thinks his postgame comments mean he's as good as gone.

As for his former team, Wiley -- who played in San Diego from 2001-2003 -- thinks they're an easy fix under Harbaugh ... making him the perfect guy to replace fired coach Brandon Staley.

"With Justin Herbert, he's top 5 talent," he added. "He just needs everybody else. First, he's gotta stay healthy and then everybody else just kinda stay healthy and stay on page. With Staley, it was fun ... but a little too much gambling. It started to cost us. People stopped believing him, the doubt creeped in, then he just lost his way. That's what happens."

Terence Crawford found a way to troll boxing rival Errol Spence during the NFL's wildcard weekend ... comparing his beatdown of the fighter from Dallas to the Packers thrashing of the Cowboys!

If you didn't know, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is a Packers fan ... and Spence (29-1, 22 KOs), a big Cowboys fan.

So, when the Packers dominated the Cowboys on Sunday, Terence took a shot at Spence, saying the ass whoopin' Dallas received resembled his TKO win over Spence last summer.

"Oooowwweeee this game looking like me and @ErrolSpenceJr," Crawford wrote on X. "They must have injuries that’s why we winning hun? 😭😭😭"

FYI, Crawford's seemingly referring to Spence's contention that his injured eye is at least partially responsible for the lopsided loss to Bud.

Spence didn't respond to the message, but that didn't stop Crawford from continuing to mock Cowboys fans ... laughing at their continued failure in the playoffs.

"I like Dallas the city and Texas the state. It’s just that the cowgirls have always been a rivalry to my Packers and they all was betting against me," Crawford said.

"Keep fighting cowgirls! Yall had a good season, now yall can go home and rest up for next year."

Of course, Crawford was one of the endless amount of people who were trollin' the Cowboys after the 48-32 loss.

9:59 AM PT -- Hulk Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, just posted about the crash ... writing, "Last night, after we left dinner in Tampa, we saw a car flip in front of us! I truly admire my husband @hulkhogan and our good buddy @jakerask for springing into action, puncturing the girls airbag, and getting her quickly out of the car. By all appearances, she was unscathed, just really rattled, which is an absolute miracle!"

9:07 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained new photos from the scene of the crash ... and in them, you can see Hulk and his friend playing real-life superheroes.

Take a look at these pics ... which show an up-close-and-personal view of the action. From the looks of it, the accident was as dramatic as you can imagine -- with the teen's car completely flipped upside down ... and her actually stepping out from the vehicle.

In fact, you can also see Hulk's buddy, Jake (the marine), running over to help. It's like something straight out of a movie -- and fortunately, nobody was seriously harmed.

7:17 AM PT -- More startling details about this accident -- TMZ Sports has learned that the driver was a minor ... a 17-year-old girl, who, we're told, was completely rattled by the whole thing.

Our sources also tell us that Hulk Hogan's buddy, Jake, who dove right in on this is actually a Marine!

Hulk Hogan sloughed off his WWE heel persona in real life this weekend -- jumping to the rescue of a woman who got into a horrific car accident ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary wrestler, his wife Sky Daily and a friend of theirs were cruising along a highway Sunday evening in Tampa, FL when they witnessed a bad wreck play out right in front of them.

We're told a car erratically swerved across the lanes to catch an exit it was about to miss -- and in the process ... clipped another car, which our sources say flipped over and tumbled.

Hulk and co., our sources explain, pulled over immediately -- with HH and his pal, Jake, rushing over to render aid to the driver ... a woman whom we're told was rattled. Since they were first on the scene, we're told Hulk and Jake actually helped get her out of the car.

Our sources say Jake popped the woman's airbag with some tools that Hulk had on hand -- and they both unbuckled her seatbelt and assisted her in safely leaving the vehicle. We're told paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, and Hulk and his crew looked on.

In the end, our sources say the woman appeared to be okay ... and HH was happy to help.

Pretty terrifying obviously -- and while, thankfully, everyone seemed alright in the end ... you gotta imagine the woman who was saved must've been surprised to see none other than Hulk himself being her personal hero. Again, he's often played the villain in the ring.

Turns out, he's the nicest guy and then some when called upon ... well done, brother!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are two peas in a pod these days -- but in terms of their initial coming-together ... her relative is now coming forward to claim he played matchmaker.

Danny Frye III -- who's a dirt track racer in Oklahoma -- did an interview this weekend where he revealed he's T-Swift's second cousin, and not just that ... but he's taking credit for setting up his uber-famous family member with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

Check it out ... in Danny's chat with FloRacing TV, he confirmed he and Taylor are, in fact, related by blood -- but he's not just some random distant relative ... according to him, they're somewhat close and grew up together.

More importantly, DF3 drops a bombshell ... saying he made a "love connection" between his cuzzo and TK -- although, he doesn't really get into the details much at all. Danny shows off a screengrab of him and TayTay at a Chiefs game ... so he's not totally BS'ing.

It's interesting this is coming out now -- 'cause back in November, Travis spilled the beans on how exactly he and Taylor got hooked up ... saying someone in her world played Cupid, and strongly suggested it might have been someone in her own brood who knew who he was.

Some suspected her brother, Austin, might've been responsible -- but now, Danny here is saying he's the reason we have one of the biggest, most famous couples in recent memory.

Again, no deets on how exactly it all unfolded -- but it ain't hard to piece together. Presumably, Danny heard Travis' Taylor story on his pod, and relayed the message.

Dez Bryant was posting through the pain during the Cowboys' shocking loss to the Packers on Sunday ... sharing his roller coaster of emotions on social media as his beloved team got booted from the playoffs.

The former All-Pro receiver was high on Dallas before kickoff ... saying he was "feeling EXTREMELY EXTREMELY great" about America's Team and claiming a $10,000 payday was on the line.

But things quickly went south for Dez ... as Green Bay came out strong with a 27-0 lead and never looked back.

That's when Dez -- who played for the Cowboys from 2010-2017 -- started to unravel.

"Idk wtf going on but we really need straighten up," Dez said ... still holding out hope for a comeback. He later bashed Cowboys staffers ... adding, "Playing (sic) calling trash as f*** right now."

As Dallas started to pick things up in the second half, Dez remained optimistic ... saying, "I still believe in us… game not over" and "If we can score one more time before the 3rd up. I like our chances."

In fact, he claimed he was about to make a live bet on Dallas completing the comeback ... but shortly after, he accepted the inevitable outcome.

"Yea this one might be over."

Bryant gave his two cents on the future of the Cowboys ... saying the organization should fire defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

"Quinn was ready to leave Dallas," Dez posted. "Fire his ass Jerry and give him his wish."

But it doesn't sound like Bryant is solely putting the blame on Quinn ... as he said the current roster was "too damn talented for this."

Green Bay ended up taking the 48-32 victory ... securing a spot in the Divisional Round, where they'll face the San Francisco 49ers. It was certainly not what people were expecting ... as Dallas was believed to be a Super Bowl contender, and the Packers snuck into the postseason with a 10-8 record.

Gotta give Dez credit for being 100% real throughout his heartbreak ... and he got over his troubles with the help of an adult beverage.

The brutal hit on Tyler Higbee, which ultimately tore the TE's ACL, was NOT dirty ... according to Kerby Joseph's Lions teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who says if the Rams want to blame anyone, it should be their QB!

The tackle in question came late in the 4th quarter during the Lions-Rams playoff game at Ford Field Sunday evening ... when Joseph, a safety, hit Higbee low as he attempted to catch a ball running across the middle of the field.

The TV broadcast showed Higbee's planted leg bending backward ... and many people have deemed the hit "dirty."

But, Gardner-Johnson feels differently ... placing the blame on Matthew Stafford for putting his TE in that position.

"If anybody on the Rams feels like it was dirty, well tell his quarterback don't put the ball in a place where he can get his player hurt," CJ told reporters after the game.

"You heard [Tom] Brady say it all the time."

In fact, Brady did recently make this point ... after Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. got hurt after a hit from Steelers' Damontae Kazee (he was suspended for the rest of the 2023 season).

"Nobody likes seeing players get hurt. But hard hits happen," Brady said.

"QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these types of hits."

On Monday, the Rams fears were confirmed ... Higbee tore his ACL on the play.

Johnson -- a third-round draft pick of the Lions in 2022 -- spoke about the hit after the Lions 24-23 win, saying he wasn't trying to hurt Tyler.

"I’m praying for bro and his family I don’t have no intention to hurt no body and or harm their career," Joseph wrote on X.

Dan Campbell had his Lions players ready to run through a brick wall after the franchise's first playoff win in 32 years ... giving a speech right from the heart that got the entire locker room hyped!!

The Lions pulled off the close 24-23 victory in the Wild Card matchup against the L.A. Rams on Sunday ... punching their ticket to the Divisional Round, where they will face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game.

Campbell -- who's in his third season with Detroit -- addressed his squad shortly after the contest ... and he didn't hold back as he honored general manager Brad Holmes and Jared Goff with game balls.

"Dude, how electric was it out there?" Campbell said. "I'm telling you what, it doesn't get any better. It's everything you dream of and then more, all right? That's outstanding work."

Holmes was also fired up to the max after the game ... letting out a scream in the elevator, which was captured on video.

Emotions were high at Ford Field ... as the Lions faced off against former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, who played 12 seasons in Motor City before being traded to L.A. in 2021.

Some fans in the crowd were visibly crying after the final whistle ... and understandably so, as the Lions had to deal with some miserable seasons before the turnaround.

In fact, the team's biggest A-list supporters like Eminem, Barry Sanders and Big Sean were present for the showdown ... and they were certainly soaking in the huge moment.

As we previously reported, Slim Shady playfully begged Stafford to let the Lions win ... claiming the former No. 1 overall pick owed him a favor for crushing it during the Super Bowl halftime show when the QB secured his first ring with the Rams in the 2021 season.

People really should pump the brakes on all the engagement talk between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ... 'cause we're told a proposal isn't forthcoming in the near future either.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... there's absolutely no engagement in the works between Taylor and Travis right now -- despite some reports suggesting they're racing to the altar. To the contrary, we're being told TK ain't getting on bended knee anytime soon.

There were rumblings this week people in Taylor's camp had T-Swift and Trav pegged for an early summer engagement, but we're being told that's just not the case. In fact, our sources tell us some folks on the inside of this don't think it'll go the distance.

We're told some members of their inner circles see Taylor and Travis as still being in a honeymoon phase, of sorts -- and they say it's just too early to tell if they'll ever advance past the dating stage.

Hear that ... that's the sound of Swiftie bubbles bursting, and premature wedding bells going silent.

Our sources also point out their about to enter a very challenging stage of their relationship --  Taylor's continuing her international tour starting in February, which will have her overseas for several months.

Of course, once his NFL season is over, Travis could join her at times -- but folks in their orbit are saying let's see how they deal with the really long distance before jumping to engagement talk.

Bill Belichick's run in New England might be over, but his time as a winner certainly ain't done yet ... at least, that's according to his ex-running back Corey Dillon, who tells TMZ Sports The Hoodie's going to find success at his next stop.

The Pats and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways on Thursday ... and some have wondered if the 71-year-old might be done coaching for good.

But, when we spoke with Dillon just hours after the decision became final in New England ... he assured us his former boss won't be quitting winning in the NFL any time soon.

"I think he's still got a lot left in the tank," Dillon said.

The former tailback -- who spent three seasons playing for Belichick and won one Super Bowl -- said he has no idea where Belichick will coach next, but he's sure he'll find a new gig and record more wins shortly ... something that will make Dillon emotional.

"Am I sad as hell to see him coaching for another team?" Dillon said. "Absolutely, man. That's going to be the worst."

As for Bill's legacy in New England, Dillon tells us there should be no debate over whether Tom Brady was responsible for all of his big wins ... explaining, "It was all of us, man. We all made that thing work."

"I couldn't get it done without Tom Brady," he said. "Tom Brady couldn't get it done without Bill. Bill couldn't get it done without us. [Robert] Kraft couldn't get it done without everybody."

Tom Brady never netted a dollar playing professional baseball ... but a card of him in uniform just made one seller a boatload of cash.

A baseball card of the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback sold for $158,600 online Saturday after a contentious bidding war on the site Goldin.

As we previously reported ... the happy seller is a Minnesota card collector who pulled the one-of-a-kind signed Bowman Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card ... talk about a lucky draw!

TB12 played catcher for his high school baseball team, and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) took him in the 18th round, 507th overall ... not high enough to entice Tom away from his University of Michigan scholarship.

The rest is history ... Brady's gone down as the greatest QB of all time, a surefire Hall of Famer -- though it hasn't stopped people from imagining what could've been.

Topps put out a commercial reimagining Brady's life as an MLB player instead ... guy ended up being the G.O.A.T. in a different sport (no surprise there).

Patrick Mahomes is headed to the next playoff round, but the happiest person in his household has to be his wife, Brittany ... who posted a crap load of photos with her new twin.

The mother-of-two and former college soccer star shared the pics from Saturday night's 26-7 Chiefs win where she posed with pop sensation Taylor Swift.

TS and BM hit a series of poses ranging from cute and flirty to downright silly ... and close friend and fellow WAG Lyndsay Bell hopped in for a couple pics too.

Mahomes made reference to their matching puff jackets -- emblazoned with the names of their footballing beaus on the back -- in her caption, writing "Twinning & Winning💯."

As you well know ... Brittany and Taylor sparked up a fast friendship amidst Tay's whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce, who is very close to Patrick and the Mahomes family.

On top of taking in games together, the dynamic duo have hung out several times including dinners in NYC ... where Mahomes rubbed elbows with celebs like Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.

Most recently, the friends (along with Bell) grabbed dinner at Spago in L.A. last weekend when the Chiefs came to town to play the Chargers.

Some of their time together has drawn mixed reactions -- remember their "cringe" handshake during October -- but the duo doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks ... easy to do when you're part of the uber-rich.